Another Virgin Takes To The Skies

With his custom bravado and Virgin spirit, Sir Richard Branson launched the newest Virgin family in South Africa last week.V Australia commenced its Melbourne – Johannesburg service, with passenger demand already seeing the carrier fly twice weekly services, with a third scheduled later on in the year. V Australia’s entry will now break the stronghold South African Airways (SAA) and Qantas have enjoyed as code-share partners on the route.

“We started Virgin Blue in Australia 10 years ago to give Qantas a run for their money, as there was no real competitor on the domestic routes. We now have 30% of the market and are a well-respected brand in Australia. V is an extension of that competition but serves long-haul routes such Los Angeles and now Johannesburg,” said Branson in an interview with Business Day.

V Australia’s Springbok route is now one of several Virgin-branded airlines, which includes the starship, Virgin Atlantic, as well as Virgin America.

And like the entrepreneur that he is, Branson has created his own aviation alliance with his own services, giving Star Alliance and OneWorld a run for their money.

“There are alliances and then there are alliances. If the intention is for one airline to feed passengers to another airline,” he says, “that is good for competition. But alliances which become monopolies that dominate certain routes that can be detrimental to competition.”

According to Bangu Masisi, who heads up South Africa Tourism in Australia, V Australia’s entry in the marketplace will make the destination more affordable.

If Branson has his way, he’ll make it equally more accessible.

“Who would have thought that 25 years after we bought our first Boeing 747 for Virgin Atlantic we would be the first group that allowed you to fly around the world on one airline group?” said Branson.

The trip could also include a ticket on Space Ship Two, with flights into space only a possible 12-18 months away.

Branson will be among the first passengers to take the flight.